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www.thesoutherncross.org.au
The
Southern Cross
March 2012 Page 11
worship |
On the evening of Holy Thursday,
April 5 we begin the Easter
Triduum, the high point of the
liturgical year. Ilsa Neicinieks
rsm from the Office for Worship
takes us through the main
elements of the Triduum liturgies.
The word 'triduum' means "three days"
and each day goes from evening to
evening, concluding on Easter Sunday
evening.
The major liturgies of the Triduum are
the Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy
Thursday evening, the Passion of the Lord
on Good Friday afternoon and the pivotal
celebration of the Easter Vigil on Holy
Saturday evening followed by other Easter
Masses on Easter Sunday.
In the early Church, there was only one
Easter ceremony and that was the Easter
Vigil. By the fourth century it was also the
primary occasion for Christian initiation,
where the newly baptised celebrated their
"passover" to new life in Christ.
Later, the celebration of Christ's death
and resurrection was extended over three
days, as it is now, but celebrated as one
long feast.
In the words of Fr Frank O'Loughlin, an
Australian liturgist: "on Holy Thursday
we are celebrating the same Mystery of
Jesus' death as we are on Good Friday
and at the Easter Vigil. In each we are
celebrating the death and resurrection of
Jesus from a different perspective." These
days could therefore be called 'the three
days that are one' with each liturgy of the
Triduum flowing seamlessly into the next.
For example, there is no final blessing or
dismissal on Holy Thursday, no formal
opening or dismissal for the Passion of
the Lord on Good Friday and no usual
greeting for the Easter Vigil.
On Holy Thursday the central symbols
are broken bread, shared wine and
footwashing. By means of the Eucharist
given to us by Jesus on that first Holy
Thursday, we receive Christ's Body and
Blood and wash each other's feet to
remember that as his disciples, all of us
are called to nothing less than to love and
serve as he did.
To link this night with Good Friday and the
Easter Vigil, the cross venerated on Good
Friday could be carried in at the entrance
procession since the entrance antiphon
proclaims: "We should glory in the Cross
of our Lord Jesus Christ in whom is our
salvation..." This night too, we must
receive Communion only from bread and
wine consecrated at this Mass -- not
hosts from a previous Mass. Hence the
empty tabernacle!
On Good Friday, the chief symbol of
Christ's abundant love is the cross. The
veneration of the cross is therefore the
high point of the liturgy on this day and
should be available to everyone. There
should be just one cross, preferably
without a corpus, since we are not
re-enacting the funeral of Jesus but the
victory of the cross as the central symbol
of Christian faith, and God's reconciling
love. The cross should be large, allowing
people to approach it from several
points at once. People should feel free to
venerate it in whatever way they wish, and
the hymns should capture the Mystery in
its fullness -- both death and victory.
The Word of God in all the liturgies of the
Triduum deserves to be proclaimed by the
best readers with the assembly listening,
all eyes fixed on the ones proclaiming the
Good News. The liturgy of Good Friday
is not a passion play. The Gospel is read
so that we can enter as prayerfully as
possible into the event and the meaning
of Christ's death for each of us -- not take
on the role of the crowd who called for his
death!
The Communion rite on this day connects
us with the Mass of Holy Thursday at
which those hosts were consecrated, and
points us to the Mass of the Easter Vigil
which is the pivotal liturgy of the Triduum.
There is no liturgy during Holy Saturday.
It has been called "the longest day -- the
day of God's defeat". Are we able to
embrace the stillness of this day instead
of crowding it with the usual distractions?
Can we allow Jesus to "meet us at the
point where we are most lost" and so
recognise the gift we've been given in this
total outpouring of love which is Easter?
The Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday night
brings the Triduum to a climax. On this
holiest of nights, the symbols must be
given their full power -- beginning the
liturgy in darkness; using the very best
readers; hearing water flow and seeing
oil generously smeared on the newly
initiated; feeling that same water fall on us
as we recall the baptism of our own dying
and rising; joining our hearts and voices
in song and then with the newly initiated
offering ourselves with Christ on this
holiest of nights and receiving his Body
and Blood at the table of Communion.
This 'feast of feasts' surely deserves
nothing less.
For more information visit
www.adelaide.catholic.org.au/sites/
officeforworship/
Getting the most out of Easter
It's an ancient, sometimes haunting,
melody often associated with cloaked
monks in medieval churches. Now,
Gregorian Chant is making a comeback in
Adelaide.
Since the introduction of Gregorian Chant
to the Edwardstown Parish last Easter, the
St Anthony's Church Choir has grown to
about 15 regular members -- the youngest
being 14 years old. Last April, there were
just four in the choir.
"I love it," says choir member Christina
Brachen. "For me, there is a lot more
meaning in the psalm when I chant."
The choir sings, in Gregorian chant, the
"propers" (the Introit, Alleluia, Responsorial
Psalm, Offertory and Communion), as well
as the "ordinaries" (Kyrie, Gloria, Sanctus,
the Lord's Prayer and Agnus Dei), at
the Saturday vigil and Sunday morning
Masses at St Anthony's Church, on South
Rd.
Choir member 15-year-old Rhaneela
Punipham says she enjoys the traditional
context of the chanting and its connection
to the Gospel and the readings of the
Mass. "They mean a bit more now that we
sing them, rather than just say them," she
says.
Parish Administrator of St Anthony of
Padua, Edwardstown, Father Phillip Alstin
said: "the congregation is now singing the
Mass rather than singing at Mass, with
the invitation to all present to embrace
the meaning and significance of the texts
reflectively and prayerfully."
He said a more active participation from
the community was required in singing the
chant which was always meant to have
"pride of place" in our worship, according
to the Vatican II Council.
Fr Alstin said during Lent this year, the
normal Lectio Divina group sessions held
at the parish would include the opportunity
to pray the Word of God through Gregorian
Chant. Parishioners are invited to join with
the choir at 7.30pm on Wednesdays during
Lent.
Lectio Divina (Latin for divine reading) is
a traditional Catholic practice in which a
passage of Scripture is read; its meaning is
reflected upon and then followed by prayer
and contemplation on the Word of God.
Gregorian Chant, whose origins are
ascribed to the period of Pope Gregory I
590-604, was traditionally sung in unison
by choirs of men and boys in churches
and religious in convents and monasteries.
Its calming effect has led to a popular
resurgence during the New Age music
movement of the 1990s, including several
chart-topping albums by monks and nuns.
Chanting makes comeback
By Rebecca DiGirolamo
TUNE IN: Front -- Organist Pat, Jearen, Yasmin, Yolanda, Lisa and conductor
Nigel. Middle -- Sharmini, Rhaneela, Hermin, Pam, Shireen, Christina, Josh and
Bong. Back -- John Paul, Zac and Tom.
Photo: Keturah de Klerk